Forest of Death

Was out for another preview screening yesternight after winning 2 passes from Cinema Online. This time, it's for Forest of Death which stars the sexy Shu Qi as an officer, the charming Ekin Cheng as a botanist and the rather alien looking Rain Li as his girlfriend turned wife. Since it was promoted as another film brought to us by the Pang Brothers, the same brothers who delievered spectacular job in both The Eye and The Eye 2, FOD is nowhere near both the horrific movies. In fact, it's not justifiable to compare them. FOD is a movie on its own, with a unique script and mystery to be solved.

Overall, the movie turned out well to me. The suspense, the thrills and the humor at some minimal strung together a watchable, entertaining piece of work, with unquestionable acting by the experienced artists. It's great seeing Shu Qi again, as I do like watching her on the screens. She might have the accent going on, but she's sizzling hot! As a whole, I shall award this movie ***1/2. :3

Partial Synopsis from GSC

There is a notorious forest adjacent to Mt. Fuji that attracts many young people to commit suicide every year. According to one local report, most of their bodies had never been found. The story begins in this mysterious forest where a criminal has abducted the Prime Minister’s daughter. He took the girl to the forest, where he raped and murdered her. After a dedicated investigation, a suspect, ERIC, was soon arrested. However, the prosecution has been unable to prove his guilt, due to insufficient forensic evidence. No DNA proof can be obtained since a condom was used during the intercourse.

Steven is a student of botany who has written his doctorate paper on the theory that “Plants Are Sentient Creatures’. He spends all his time and effort trying to prove that plants have feelings, and even language. Steven’s theory soon gains worldwide attention. Both media and academics come all the way to Japan to meet and interview Steven. Seizing this opportunity, Steven proposes to take his apparatus and the murder suspect to the crime scene forest and conduct the experiment. The purpose is to obtain the testimony of the only eyewitness: the forest itself. He can further analyze the signals collected in an effort to determine whether or not the suspect is guilty.

Will the experiment succeed this time? Will the mystery of forest be disclosed to the public through the media reporting???